


Flying Blind

by Redbird (TheCondorG2)



Category: Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman & Related Fandoms, Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman | Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Explicit Language, Gen, Humor, Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27110983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCondorG2/pseuds/Redbird
Summary: Jun and Joe go on a mission with disastrous results





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was posted to Gatchamania a few years ago, thought I might as well put it up here as well. Not beta'd. Yes, my grammar probably sucks. Do not copy to other sites.

"Are the charges set?" Joe asked quietly, while hunched down in the service passage about 20 feet away from her. He held his gun at the ready, in case the goons had smartened up enough to actually think of looking for them in there.

He watched as she finished calibrating the last charge, her nimble fingers flying as they made short work of the tangle of wires and connections. Jun shifted over a bit and glanced through the air vent set in the wall, checking for signs of any Galactor soldiers and finding none.

"Yes, they're all in place." she replied. "Let me know when you're ready for me to set the tim.....

She never got to finish her sentence for the charge set on the wall down the corridor, the one Joe had been right in front of, suddenly went off.

A mini fireball erupted from the wall, where a hole had been blown, and the concussive force had thrown Joe across the corridor, slamming him into the opposite wall.

A hoarse cry that was suddenly choked off.

Jun didn't remember when she screamed his name, only knew that she was doing so. The corridor filled with smoke, and an alarm began to beep. They were abruptly left in the dark , but after a moment or two she could hear a faint whir of machinery, and the emergency lights flickered up, bathing them in red. 

Staying close to the floor, she quickly crawled across the cramped space, being careful in trying to not to touch the still smoldering wall panel. 

The smoke was getting thicker. She covered her mouth and coughed. Stretching out and feeling tentatively with her hands, she knew she found him when her hand closed over a roughened, hard leather boot. Cautiously, she crept closer to him, shouting his name over the sound of the alarm. 

He wasn't responding.

Trying to contain the panic rising within her, Jun managed to find his head, fingers brushing against his helmet and slid a hand inside the form fitting dark blue cowl that covered his neck. 

Thank God! He still had a pulse, but he was as still as ....

_No!_ She wouldn't think it, couldn't think it!

"Joe!? _Joe!_ " she cried, trying to rouse his prone form, shaking him. 

It was then that she heard the noise. 

Heart racing frantically, she cocked her head, listening, trying to filter out the multiple background noises. She heard the shouts of guards, muffled, but seemingly coming from the floor below her. They needed to move out and fast.

"Come on Condor!" she shouted at him, shaking him roughly once more. "Get up!"

Eyes burning against the smoke, she managed to pull him into a half sitting position. His head lolled against hers, and when her hand lifted to steady it, she felt it. It was small, but there. The back of his helmet had cracked from the force of being thrown by the blast.

"On your feet!"

Finally, there came a pained, low groan close to her ear. 

"Joe? Joe wake up we have to go NOW..."

He sagged bonelessly against her. "Jun...."Another groan. "Jun what happened..." he asked groggily, weakly trying to raise a hand, letting it fall back beside him. The action of speaking set him off into a paroxysm of coughing, smoke irritating his lungs.

She levered his arm around her neck and clamped an arm about his shoulders, trying to stand. 

_God, he was so heavy!_

"Come on Joe...."

She faintly heard him saying something, talking to her. It was only after she concentrated, focusing in that she heard his voice whisper:

"Jun...Jun I... can't...see..."


	2. Chapter 2

**JUN** :

She never thought she would ever hear such words from one of their own before. And hoped she never heard them again. She swallowed, her eyes closing briefly at the memory.

_"Jun...Jun I... can't...see..."_

There had been no way she could have managed to carry Joe out, she could barely hold him up. So, her heart hammering and full of panic, she had resorted to calling Ken for help. The lump in her throat was choking her. She was lucky she had been able to ping the God Phoenix, for the communications were being jammed and she had trouble getting a signal through. If she had been unable to raise comms and unable to escape....

Jun leaned back in her chair, gritting her teeth, as Ryu piloted the God Phoenix through turbulence.

Jinpei shot her a look when they arrived on board, rising to his feet, immediate questions in his brown eyes. His face pallid from the shock of seeing his "indestructible" Joe-aniki, laid low. Sometimes she forgot how young he really was.

He wanted to accompany them into the MedBay, but Ken barked a terse order for him to stay put on the bridge with Ryu. As they entered the bridge their stalwart pilot had cast a look over his shoulder managing to quickly mask his surprised reaction at the picture they presented. His eyes met Ken's, a silent message passing between the two, before turning back to his instruments.

"Hey Jinpei, double check those wind speed readings for me would ya? Thanks pal."

**Ken** :

He never wanted to experience another day like this one. Their mission had been a total failure. In every possible way.

While Jun and Joe had infiltrated the mecha, they were unable to find any evidence of the new device that Galactor was rumored to have. And if there was evidence, more than likely it went up in smoke with the mecha.

More important to him and even worse was that, according to Jun, Joe had been blinded by the premature ignition of one of Jun's bombs. They had no idea of knowing if it was something permanent or not until they reached the Crescent Coral Base.

At first he thought he misheard Jun. Their comms had been full of static, presumably due to Galactor jamming their frequencies. When she said that Joe had been injured and that they needed help, a leaden weight settled deep within his gut. 

_"What? Jun I can't...hear you... I repeat what happened?"_

_"It... Joe! Hurt...K...."_

He hadn't known what to expect when he infiltrated the flaming mecha, only that he had very little time to locate and extract his teammates. Jun hadn't said a word about what had happened, that alone filled him with trepidation. Never had he expected this. That Joe had broken a few ribs or had taken hit by laser fire or a bullet or two, yes. But nothing so bad that she needed help in moving him. Something else had to be going on.

Entering the mecha had been like walking through hell. Walls of fire, thick black smoke and multiple alarms droning in the background. The stench of burning plastic and scorched metal burned his nose. Shouts of the Galactor soldiers could be heard faintly above the din. The emergency lights painted the hallways in red. But even they sputtered, flickering on and off, and at moments completely out, evidence that the entire grid system was failing. There wasn't much time left. 

Thank God, their visors had bio filters built into them. 

They were midlevel, in a service passage toward the port side of the mecha. When he found them, they were hunched over and huddled together. Jun, her arm around Joe's shoulder, his head slumped against the wall. From his vantage point, Ken could see the seared skin on his face, along his jaw line and cheek.

Jun, her white birdstyle now the color of dark smoke and spotted with soot, lifted her head, catching a glimpse of his white wings through the flames.

She called out his name with such relief, he thought she was going to cry. As it was, he thought he saw tear tracks on her face. Their path cutting a clean line down her dirty cheeks. But there was no time for tears of any kind, they needed to move. Or it was game over. 

Bracing his hand against the wall, on the other side of Joe, Ken knelt down with them. 

"Joe? Joe!" he shouted, hand on his second's shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Can you stand?"

His only answer was a low, pained moan. 

Mouth pressed in a grim line, Ken glanced at Jun. "Are you alright?"

She nodded frantically, hand covering her mouth and trying not to cough.

"Help me get him up."

Her arm wound tightly about him, she carefully braced her shoulder under his armpit and rose on shaking legs, as Ken levered the Condor up from the other side. 

Together they managed to get him upright. Jun while holding Joe steady, watched as Ken dipped low, hefting him into a fireman's carry. 

No sooner had he straightened up, when they were suddenly thrown across the corridor, as an explosion from deeper within the mecha rocked the structure. Ken quickly twisted his body to prevent Joe's head from smacking into the wall. 

Smaller, weaker temblors could be felt beneath their feet and an ominous creaking sound echoed in the distance.

Ken and Jun 's eyes met, shooting each other a look that spoke volumes.

"The exit is up ahead!" Ken shouted, adjusting Joe's weight across his shoulders. "I'll follow! Ping Ryu for a pickup! Hurry Jun, this is gonna be close!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Ken** :

He stared blankly at the grey walls of the debriefing room, lost in his thoughts, not even noticing his own teammates sitting next to him. Not noticing how they peered at him, their own faces lined with concern as they waited in silence.

They had gotten Joe stabilized in the MedBay, strapped onto a table for his own safety in case of a rough descent. If Joe being blind wasn't bad enough, the crack in Joe's helmet also concerned him. Head injuries could be notoriously difficult to diagnose, and he had no way to know what they were really dealing with. Jun had set up an oxygen line, but Ken had decided against administering a sedative or any kind of pain management, for fear of making things worse. 

Joe had been cognizant as they were buckling him down, and had grit his teeth and nodded briefly when Ken asked him if he could handle the pain until docking. 

He didn't know how Ryu managed to make it back to the Crescent Coral Base so quickly, but he was betting his pilot was breaking some kind of ISO protocols in doing so. As the hangar drained, they could see the medical team that had been waiting for them, poised upon the catwalks above the ship, beginning to descend toward the God Phoenix. There was a veritable army of doctors and techs in white lab coats waiting on the periphery, while a select few rolled a metal gurney toward a platform that lead to the ship's bubble dome. Bringing up the rear was Nambu Hakase, looking stern as ever but his eyes touched with a hint of worry.

He had glanced at Ken, telling him to have everyone report to the debriefing room and to wait there until he returned. 

And there they had stayed.

Ken glanced briefly at the clock on the wall to his left. How long had they been waiting already? 20 minutes? An hour? 

A bubbling gurgling sound; a growling stomach, came from the far side of the table. He could hear Ryu saying something to Jinpei, and heard the rustle of black wings as the youngster crossed his arms over his middle, whispering "sorry" in a low toned voice.

To his right, he heard Jun make a noise as if she were going to speak, and as he turned his head toward her, the door in front of them slid open with a hiss. Four sets of eyes flew to the doorway, to see the grim figure of Nambu Hakase carrying a clipboard and what looked like a medical file. He paused briefly before striding into the room and taking a seat across from them. The doctor flipped open the file, rifling through its pages, studying it, before glancing up at them. His eyes touched upon each one of them individually, before coming to rest almost thoughtfully on Jun, but then moved on to lock eyes with the Eagle.

"Doctor, " Ryu said, voice cracking a bit on the last syllable of the word. "How's Joe? What..."

"Is he gonna be okay Hakase?" Jinpei blurted out impatiently, worrying his lower lip between his teeth.

The doctor carefully gathered his papers back into a neat sheath, tapping the ends into place against the laminate table, and lay his hands across them, fingers laced together.

"I know you're all concerned about Joe, so this one time we're going to break with protocol. I can give you his general status before we begin debrief. Please note due to the incident that happened today, you all will be debriefed individually first, then as a team, after which you will all meet back here with me once more. "

Jun nodded her head silently, staring at her hands folded in her lap, while Jinpei uttered a quiet "ok". 

"Right now, Joe is still undergoing preliminary testing, but as it stands it seems he has indeed lost his vision, as to what damage he has sustained, or what can be done to alleviate or correct the issue has not yet been determined. But rest assured, he will receive the best possible care that the ISO can provide." He paused, mouth set in a harsh line and again his eyes pinned each one of them to their seats. "I want to make sure that all of you realize just how grave this situation is. Your teammate has been _blinded_. This action seriously jeopardizes the work the ISO has done, not to mention the time and resources they have put into training you, as well as the work that you, as a team are expected to do. Director Anderson was not pleased to hear what transpired today and this incident has given him pause to consider just how dedicated all of you are to your mission, and if perhaps it's time to reconsider your positions here within the organization."

"Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin' doc?" Ryu asked incredulously, eyes widened in shock.

"That you can be replaced? Yes, I'm afraid so."


	4. Chapter 4

Ken's blue eyes met the doctors brown ones, while in the background he dimly heard Jinpei shouting "You can't do that! You can't!". He saw a flash of white in his peripheral vision, as Jun tried to pull him back down into his seat, all the while Ryu muttered for him to shut up, just shut up.

Hakase Nambu sighed and tossed his glasses onto the table, rubbing his face with both hands.

"Haksase...."Ken began gravely. "With all due respect, is this something the ISO is seriously considering?"

He looked up at Ken, eyes bloodshot. They could all tell the last few hours had been trying for their mentor.

"It's been put onto the table for discussion....".

Jinpei began shouting again, Ryu stood from his chair and began pacing, biting his thumbnail. Jun tried without fail, to calm Jinpei down but was unsuccessful. 

The doctor banged his fist on the table, his glasses jumping with the impact. The noise bringing their bickering to a halt. 

"Would you all _listen_!" he shouted, glancing around the table. "Yes, it's been brought up, however, I will do _everything_ in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. I've known the board members for a long time, worked with these people for many years and I aim to do my best to persuade them to be more patient and understand the significant danger that you go up against each time you head out on a mission. "

"Hakase," Ken continued quietly. "We would do anything to win back their trust. I have full faith in each one of my team members, and they feel the same. Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it and exceed your expectations."

"Please know, I don't doubt your sincerity. That isn't the issue. But after the last few missions, and the problems related to them, you have to start bringing more to the table." he paused a moment, letting the words sink in. "We need to cooperate with one another, work better with one another and I'm not just referring to your team dynamics, but the other ISO staff as well. We're here to help you work toward our common goal; a world free of Galactor."

"I understand, Hakase."Ken replied grimly. "We won't let you down."

The doctor nodded, and reached for his glasses, putting them on once more. Somehow, with his glasses back on, he looked more composed. More in control.

He cleared his throat. "Now, G3, G4 and G5, you will be escorted to separate holding rooms, while I debrief G1. While you're waiting, you'll receive a once over by medical staff to check for hidden injuries and other medical issues. When we're finished here, the rest of you will be called individually, in random order, after which you will be released back to your quarters to write your official reports. Please remember, as per ISO regulation they are due tomorrow at 08:00 hours. " 

He rose and strode to the door, allowing it to slide open and motioning for someone to enter. There was a scrape of boots on the tile floor and three ISO guards stood in the doorway, waiting to escort the rest of the team to their respective rooms, until they would be questioned.

Ken nodded slightly at his team, indicating they should leave. He watched them file out, one by one being led away by the ISO facility guards. He wouldn't be able to speak with them until everyone was finished. 

Hakaske Nambu took his seat once more and opened a new file. He pinned Ken with a look and pressed a button on the table that would begin recording.

"Alright, G1. Are you ready to begin debrief?"

Ken squared his shoulders. "Yes, Hakase. I am."

************

The next morning they all met in the hallway at 07:30 hours to turn in their reports. 

Jinpei's hair stood out in all directions and he kept rubbing his eyes, sleepily. Ryu didn't look any better, for the big man had dark circles beneath his eyes and he kept yawning his head off. Ken's face was drawn, and paler than usual. Only Jun looked refreshed and well rested as she leaned against the wall next to the door. Her hair shiny and her makeup perfectly applied. 

"Alright, "Ken began, looking about them, making sure the hallway was clear. "Before Hakase gets here, I want to have a quick word with you all."

Ryu nodded, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand. 

"I need to ask you again: Jun, did you do _anything_ different when you wired those charges? Notice _anything_ off about the detonators that might have caused them to malfunction?"

She shook her head, lips pressed tightly together. "I did everything by the book as usual. It was a simple set up. Six plasma charges. Deferred timer. They were daisy chained to go off in sequence."

"Ryu --did you look at the flight data recordings from the mission? Nambu was sending techs to download the mission stats yesterday. Do you remember anything strange, getting any out of the ordinary readings? _Anything_?"

"The only thing I picked up on was Galactor trying to jam our comm frequencies, which isn't something unusual." The pilot lifted his shoulder in a shrug."It happens almost every mission."

"Jinpei, what about you little dude? Did you come across any weird readings? Did your sensors record anything wacky?"

"Nuh-uh aniki. It's like I said before, everything was normal...."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from down the hall. The footsteps of Hakase Nambu. The doctors' eyebrow shot up, surprised to see them all waiting outside his office well before the 08:00 hour.

Ken straightened up and cleared his throat. "Good morning, Hakase."

A small smile formed on the doctors lips, as he strode down the passageway toward them, briefcase in one hand, coffee in the other.

"Good morning, team." He juggled his briefcase a moment, before entering his passcode and pressing his hand against the palm reader by the door. "I'm glad you're all here this morning. It saves me the trouble of tracking you down."

The door slid open with a soft huff of air, and the lights flickered on as he entered the office, beckoning them to follow him in. 

"Please, " he motioned with his hand, as he set his coffee down and popped opened his briefcase. "Sit down."

The four young people glanced at one another before finding seats. Jun and Jinpei together on the small couch against the wall, Ken and Ryu in the hard chairs in front of the doctor's desk. 

"What is it Hakase?" Jun asked, voice laced with worry, as she slung an arm around Jinpei's shoulder.

"I need to speak with you about Joe."


	5. Chapter 5

"We have a problem," Nambu told them removing his glasses for a moment to clean them, then replacing them. "The doctor's aren't totally sure when Joe can return to active duty. "

Gasps and curses filled the room, but Ken was silent, waiting for the doctor to explain.

" Joe has sustained damage to his optic nerves, as well as his retinas. He also has a concussion. There are a few variables involved and he will recover, with time, but until then you're down one man. Most importantly your gunner, the best shot on the team--is lost to us right now."

He looked at each one of them in turn, taking in their serious faces.

"I don't think I need to tell you that everyone needs to work extra hard to fill that spot until Joe is able to return. This is going to be a trying time to say the least. And I expect all of you to ramp up your training in areas you're deficient in."

"You know Joe will be the holy terror of the med ward." Ken stated bluntly. 

He just couldn't imagine it himself. A Condor who couldn't see? Heaven help the doctors and nurses. 

"I know....!" Jinpei quipped brightly, snapping his fingers together. "Maybe they can drug him until he's healed!"

"That's not helpful Jinpei." Jun scolded him, her arms crossed over her chest in a very Condor-like pose.

"They're not keeping him bed ridden indefinitely, nor placing him in a medically induced coma." Hakase informed them, glancing briefly at the youngest member of the team. "Joe will be held a while for observation and if his condition remains stable, then most likely they'll send him back to his quarters to recuperate." 

"What?" Ryu exclaimed, brown eyes wide. "How can they do that? He can't even see!"

The doctor smiled, a wry grin. "Everyone in the med ward is well aware of the kind of patient Joe is. After lengthy discussion with his medical team, they feel he'll benefit from being in familiar surroundings."

"So..." Ken questioned thoughtfully."What do they expect him to do all day? Just sit there while we're out fighting Galactor? You know Joe won't cooperate with that."

"I'll say...." Jun muttered under her breath and flashing him a look.

"Yes, those are my thoughts as well. Which is why, his condition permitting, Joe will continue to train here at the base while the rest of you are out in the field."

"But Nambu Hakase, what can Joe-aniki possibly do if he can't see?" Jinpei asked, with a frown, truthfully not understanding.

"I'm disappointed in you Jinpei. As a Science Ninja, you should know that sight is only one of many senses and tools that humans possess."

Sensing Jinpei's embarrassment, Ryu quickly jumped in trying to change the subject. "Yeah Jinpei, Joe can still work out with us. Right doctor? There's always the weight room." He reached out and ruffled the kids' hair. "We can help him...." 

"Absolutely. I wouldn't expect anything else from you, as a team."

"Joe's not just our teammate Hakase, he's our brother and friend." Ken told him rising from his seat, hands balled into fists. "We'll do whatever we can to make sure he's back with us as soon as possible."

The doctor nodded tapping his pen on his desk. "That is all for now. You're dismissed for the time being. Ken...please stay a moment. I need to discuss a few things with you."

****************

It was around 45 minutes later when the door to the doctor's office opened, and Ken walked out. To his surprise he can see Jun lingering further down the hallway by the supply closet. Apparently she had been waiting for him.

"Ken," she asked softly, inclining her head. "Do you have a few minutes?"

He nodded and leaned back against the wall, muscles playing against the t-shirt stretched taught against his chest.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the lights reflecting off it, giving it a green cast.

"I understand your giving a speech in front of Hakase, but do you really think Joe will accept our help?" 

There was a doubtful tone in her voice.

"I don't know Jun. You know how hardheaded Joe can be. But the fact is we _need_ him on the team so it doesn't matter whether he wants our help or not."

He paused a moment, gaze cast downward towards the floor. "At least we can still perform the firebird ............"

It was their weapon of last resort. The hardest hitting weapon in their arsenal, but one they had to exercise caution in using.

"There is that." Jun agreed quietly, her voice sounding strained. "Assuming we can keep Joe from trying to take the G2..."

"I thought of that." Ken replied grimly. "I wouldn't put it past him to try, but I've already spoken with Hakase about it. He's going to have a few words with the security personnel in general , as well as with the guards in the hangar bay."

He secretly hoped it would be enough, but he wasn't counting on it. Once Joe decided to put his mind to something, there was no going back.

Ken looked up at her, eyes carefully searching her face.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head, ends of her hair brushing her shoulders lightly.

"Jun, is there something I need to know?"

There was the sound of an indrawn breath through her nose.

"I ...can't help but feel....."she paused, trying to swallow the lump in her throat, as she looked anywhere but at him. "That this.... is _all_ my fault..."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she covered her face with her hand.

Ken cleared his throat uncomfortably. He closed the gap between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. 

"No one thinks that way, except for yourself, Jun." He shook her lightly, adding emphasis to his words. "We've been over this before...."

"I know...!"

She only cried harder, snuffling under her hand and shaking her head.

"I can't help it Ken..."

She wiped briefly at her bloodshot eyes.

"What if...what if Joe..." she began helplessly.

" _Don't_ say it Jun..." Ken told her, voice almost a whisper. Half warning, half pleading with her.

"I _have_ to Ken!"she sobbed. "Because _no one else_ has said it! What if Joe _never_ recovers his eyesight!?'

He set his jaw. "The doctor said there was a good chance he'll make a full recovery! He just needs time Jun!"

"What if they're wrong?!" Jun snapped. "What about _that?_ "

Abruptly she shoved his hands off her shoulders, but he grabbed her arm firmly, fingers biting into the flesh of her bicep.

A retort bubbled up to her lips, then died as she was taken aback at the blue fire she saw in the depths of his eyes. It was not Ken that was speaking to her now, but the Eagle. He was in full Gatchaman mode.

"Are you telling me you have no faith in what Hakase told us? Or of Hakase himself and the rest of the medical team?" Then more angrily. _"That you have no faith in Joe?"_

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. Angry tears full of doubt and self-loathing.

"But what if they're _wrong?_ " she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. "Ken...."

"We can't spend our lives thinking 'What if?' Jun! We have to deal with the situation we have at hand. In the here and now! If Hakase believes Joe will be able to see again, then so do I!"

"I know that Ken, it's just so hard!"

"Are you so willing to just give up on him?"

Her head slumped, chin resting against her chest in defeat --all the fight suddenly draining out of her. 

"Joe needs all of us right now." Ken said more gently, releasing her arm. "And we have got to be strong." 

She nodded, wiping at her eyes with a pale hand. Pulling a tissue out of her pocket, she blew her nose and shoved her hair out of her eyes.

"You're right. I know you are." 

"Come on, let's get something to eat at the cafeteria." he offered with a twitch of his lips. "I'm starving."

"I could use something cold to drink myself." she admitted , she fanned her herself, as her emotional outburst left her face red and blotchy.

The two of them walked amicably down the hallway together in silence, heading for the elevators that would take them down to the cafeteria. They rounded a bend, when Jun stopped, frowning.

She stood there watching Ken's jean clad form moving quickly down the hallway ahead of her.

It was then that the realization hit her.

"Wait, you actually have _money!?_ "


	6. Chapter 6

"Now, I have to tell all of you, that Joe still isn't up to par yet." Dr. Chen told them looking at them sternly. "No horsing around or any tomfoolery. He has to heal properly. Don't stress him out, he's stressed enough already."

"You sound like Hakase...." Jinpei grumbled, staring at the floor.

From the slight twitch of his jaw,it was obvious the doctor heard the remark, but ignored it and continued.

"Don't stay for too long, and try and keep probing questions to a minimum. Shall we?"

He ushered them down the hallway, and through a high security part of the wing. There was a guard before the door who nodded at the doctor after he showed him his ID and submitted to a retina scan.

The medical wing was fairly quiet, with only a few of the nurses speaking in low voices at their station, and sipping coffee. They took no notice to their group passing by, just went on with their conversation. 

Jun frowned, thinking they should be paying more attention to the comings and goings of staff and visitors, but remembered that this wing was also under heavy surveillance by hidden cameras and the like. Not to mention there were also ISO operatives stationed at every possible entrance point.

The only other noise was of the hum of the ventilation system as it cycled the air and the occasional beeping of high tech medical equipment. 

They came to a door at the end of the brightly lit hallway. The doctor stopped before it and placed his hand on the palm scanner. Lights on the pad, blinked and changed colors in a varied sequence, before it unlocked with a click.

When he opened the door, they saw Joe was propped up against a mound of pillows. Though his eyes were bandaged, and gauze was wrapped around his head to keep the pads on, they could tell a familiar Condor scowl was fixed firmly upon his face. The fact that his face along his left jaw line and cheek had been seared by the explosion, only added to the angry countenance. The injury showed a livid red from beneath the protective mesh dressing that covered it. 

The room was spartan and had no window view to the ocean, not that it mattered, for he couldn't see it anyway.

"Glad to see you're awake." Dr. Chen commented briskly, walking into the room, tucking his medical file under his arm. "You have some visitors, Joe." 

"Great." He responded flatly. 

Joe could feel the tension in the air. Fairly cut it with a knife, as he heard the door close behind the doctor. And he could feel them all staring at him, and each other. Had things changed that much? He was still the same person despite his injury.

 _Well, let's go. Out with it already_ he wanted to shout, but bit his tongue.

"Well well, the gangs all here." he drawled.

He head one of them shift on their feet, the quiet whisper of their jeans as they moved restlessly from foot to foot.

"Everyone but Ken. He's in conference with Dr. Nambu." Jun offered awkwardly. "But I'm sure he'll be along when he can."

"I've no doubt he will, Jun."

"Dr. Chen told us we have only a moment to talk with you Joe."

He snickered, turning his head away. "Like I have somewhere to go..."

Ryu cleared his throat, breaking the strained silence. "Hiya Joe, how you feeling?" 

He felt a warm beefy hand press down briefly on his shoulder in greeting.

"Like a trapped rat Ryu." 

_Better yet, a blind rat..._ , he thought ruefully.

"Jinpei, what're you hiding behind your back?" Jun asked curiously. 

"Oh, just some magazines I bought for Joe-aniki."

"Oh boy...." Ryu muttered under his breath. Joe could hear the sound of what he assumed was Jun smacking the back of Jinpei's head with the flat of her hand.

"Owwww! What was that..."

"It's all right Jinpei..." Joe interrupted, with a twitch of his lips. "I'll read them when I get better."

"Yeah, when you get better!" In his mind's eyes he could practically see Jinpei's grin and him sticking out his tongue at Jun in a "[I]so there[/I]!" statement. The plastic bag crinkled loudly as the kid set them on the bedside table.

"What have they told you?" Ryu asked hesitantly. "Have they given you a timeframe of when you might be back on your feet?"

"You know as much as I do. They really haven't told me anything. They just tell me to take it day by day. Problem is .... ," he gestured at the bed. "THIS is what my day amounts to right now."

A sharp rap sounded from the other side of the door, before it opened again. Dr. Chen looked at them from over his round glasses, signaling it was time for them to leave.

"That's our cue, I think." Ryu murmured. 

"We'll come back and see you again soon!" Jinpei promised, looking up at his sister for confirmation.

"Yes, we'll come every day if Joe wants us to."

The three of them gave Joe their good-byes and sounds of them shuffling rapidly out the door faded out into the hallway.

But he heard a quiet commotion outside his door, then the sound of Dr. Chen saying "Only one more minute..." in a firm voice. "He needs his rest."

The door swung open again and closed with a low click.

"Joe?" Jun asked softly. "Can I talk to you in private a minute?"

" _Me casa es su casa_." he replied wryly, gesturing towards where the chairs were at the bedside.

He heard her approach and drag one of the chairs closer to the bed. It creaked as she sat down. 

"Joe...Joe, I'm so sorry..."

He mentally sighed to himself. He knew this was coming and hadn't been looking forward to it. If he could be anywhere but here, he would be. 

"If I could ...." she began in a pained voice, growing thick with emotion.

"Look.....Jun..." said Joe, cutting her off gruffly. "It's okay. I know. It's not your fault."

"No, it's not okay! You can't see!" she exclaimed, horrified.

"Did you do it on purpose Jun? Huh?" he asked her. "Did you _mean_ to blind me?"

He thought to make her see the ridiculousness of her thinking but supposed he was a little too hard with her, when he heard a choked sob break from her throat.

Joe heard the rustling of tissues as she pulled them out of the box on the bedside table. He supposed he would feel the same way...no... _knew_... he would feel the same way if something had happened to one of his teammates, especially if he thought it might have been his actions that caused an accident. The only difference between his reaction and Jun's would be that where Jun was sobbing at his bedside, he would be out blowing things to pieces, in order to assuage his feelings of guilt.

"C'mere Junie." he told her quietly extending an arm towards her.

Jun's shoes squeaked on the tile floor as she rose and he felt the bed dip slightly from her weight as she sat down next to him. He could smell the shampoo she used to wash her hair with. It reminded him of flowers.

She cried against him, tears wetting the front of the faded t-shirt he wore that currently served as a pajama top. Her shoulders shook, and he ran a hand gently over her hair.

"Hey now," he scoffed with a slight huff. "Ken's the pretty one with the model looks. What're you cryin' over me for? It might even be an improvement...."

She shoved lightly at his shoulder in rebuke.

"If there 's anything I can do..." came her muffled voice against his chest."Anything at all... to make it up to you or make you feel better..."

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Well, since you put it like that...". He leaned back against the pillows more comfortably. "I guess it'll be like being blindfolded..." A smirk plastered across his face.

She briefly lifted her head. "Pig! As if...." Jun snorted, and smacked his shoulder, laughing and making him laugh too.

"Yeah, yeah I know...." 

"Are you sure I can't do anything for you? Get you anything from your trailer?"

After a moment's thought, and after he quashed the guilt that welled up in him. 

"There is one thing Junie..."


	7. Chapter 7

Joe sighed as he heard the door close, then listened. Really _listened_ to make sure she was gone. He found even that short visit left him drained as if he'd been beaten with metal baseball bats.

Questing fingers touched his head , his temple, gently, feeling the gauze bandages that covered his eyes. He knew Jun didn't hurt him or purpose, no one on the team would ever do such a thing. But he couldn't help but rage at his current condition. His hand fell to the blanket where it balled up into a fist. 

A fist that he suddenly slammed down hard against the bed. 

The action made him feel worse. For he wanted to break something, wanted to vent his frustration and the soft mattress had done nothing but absorb his blow. Cushioning his hand when he wanted to feel splintering fragments beneath it. The rough scrape of jagged, broken edges against his skin.

His restless fingers plucked at the thin scratchy hospital blanket. They itched to throw a shuriken, but they had all been promptly confiscated when he'd been admitted.

But what was worse, was the disconcerted feeling of being trapped, that permeated his senses. He had to get out of there and soon. He wanted to feel the breeze against his skin. Real air. Not this purified recycled non-air they breathed beneath the sea. It was unnatural if you asked him .

He longed to feel the wind though his hair, racing beneath a midnight sky full of stars. Or to go flying off into the break of dawn, the promise of a new day unfolding before his eyes, along a dusty canyon road.

But he couldn't do any of those things, because he couldn't goddamned see.....

Not only that, but during his forced isolation, he found he missed normal every day scents and sounds. Of the freshly brewed coffee in his trailer. The smell of oil, asphalt and gasoline. Gunpowder. His leather coat. Fresh donuts in a grease spotted bag. Newly cut grass, sharp and clean. The crickets at night. The rain on his trailer roof. The roaring of the G2's engine as he tore around a track. 

Stuck down 20,000 leagues under the sea, all you got was an antiseptic hospital smell, with an occasional hint of ozone. 

He knew he was losing it when he had to stop himself from asking someone to bring him a scented candle to burn, just to get that cloying smell out of his nostrils.

Joe hated to have his sleep interrupted, but what he would give right now to be called out on a mission at 4am!

And that was another problem. Because he was injured, because HE was laid up--the rest of the team had to do without him. They had to take up the slack because he was stuck laying in a hospital bed. His place was fighting beside them, kicking Katse's ass--to hell with taking names. HIS name was the only one Galactor needed to know. 

Anger fueling his muscles, he threw off the blanket and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His feet touched the floor and he rose, grabbing onto the back of one of the chairs for balance. 

Joe's head spun, almost causing him to trip over the chair leg. But he managed to right himself and by utilizing his training---using his core muscles --grounded himself through his feet before he tried moving forward once more. On the periphery of his hearing, came the faint sounds of the nurses laughing at their station down the hall, and mouth set in a grim line, he turned toward the door.

Even at this very moment, Katse could be planning their next sortie . Once they got wind that the Condor had been removed from the fighting, it could give them just enough of an advantage that it meant lights out. For everyone. Everything. Even the end of his plans for revenge. 

Screw this! He was out of here. There was no fucking way that he was going to stay cooped up in the medical ward, when Ken and the others needed him. No way he was going to sit idly by and wait for the hammer to fall, when he should be the one wielding it.

Joe stepped forward in the direction of the door. Just a little more, he thought, stretching out his arm. He collided against the wall with a curse, flushing with embarrassment beneath his bandages. 

_Get it together!_

His fingers found the doorframe, and slid them down, smoothing over the cool metal surface of the reinforced door. Down, down..ah, there it was . The door handle. Grasping it firmly in his grip, he turned it, yanking on the handle. 

It was locked. 

What.the.fuck. They locked him in. 

THEY LOCKED HIM IN. 

Oh hell NO.

White-hot fury boiled through him. Made him see red behind his damaged eyelids. His head started to pound, the staccato beat of his heart thrumming within it, in every breath.

The flat of Joe's hand slapped the door, the next blow was with his fist. He began shouting, at the top of his lungs. He threw his shoulder against the door, putting his body weight behind it. He reeled back, losing his balance and began pummeling and kicking at the handle , willing it to break. 

This continued on for some time. Only when he collapsed to his knees, feeling the cold tiles through his pajama pants, his limbs trembling from effort , did the door open.

He was nursing his split knuckles, soothing them with his tongue when he heard an amused chuckle. 

"Well," he heard Dr. Chen say, the unmistakable sound of a smirk in his tone. "If you're up and about, and full of spirit, you must be feeling better. That being the case, tomorrow we'll start on your rehab."


	8. Chapter 8

Ken opened the door, then sensing a shift in the air....quickly closed it. He counted to five before slowly opening it again. 

He peered at the other side of the door. A shuriken had pierced the metal and was standing at full attention.

"Sorry Ken..." Joe grumbled, a half-apology.

Amused, Ken glanced at the door a final time before he quietly closed it behind him and stepped into the room.

"Guess I won't ask how you're feeling today."

Joe bared his teeth at Ken in a mock grin. Then he sighed, slumping against the pillows as Ken lowered himself into the hard egg-shaped plastic chair at his bedside.

"You know Jun's still pretty shook up." Ken told him. "And where did you get the shuriken from?" he questioned added with a frown.

"I know. She came here yesterday." he gestured with his hand in a haphazard way. "Where did you think I got them from ?"

Ken sighed, and made a mental note to speak with Jun about that.

"She thinks it's her fault Joe."

"I already told her it was an accident." he paused. "Don't know how much the words helped but...there it is..."

Silence.

"So how are you holding up? " Ken asked him curiously.

"What ?" his teammate growled. " Are you playing shrink with me now too? They left about 2 hours ago if you'd like to join them....."

"Joe......" Ken sighed. "How are you doing.....really?"

"How do you think?" was the immediate answer.

Ken figured as much. "Has there been any change? Anything at all?"

"No." Joe groused. Ken could imagine a Condor scowl working its way out from behind those eye bandages. He could tell from the tension in Joe's face.

"Where'd these come from?" Ken asked glancing at the bedside table.

Then realized his faux-pas.

"Oh," he stammered, blushing to the roots of his hair. "Sorry..."

Joe waved him off. "The magazines?" he snorted, half laughing to himself. "Jinpei...."

"Well.... it's the _thought_ that counts..."

"I know, I know." Joe replied. "I'm going crazy in here."

Ken's eyes found Joe's right left hand. The one that had been bandaged. 

"Yeah, I heard about what happened in here earlier."

"They're going to start my rehab sessions tomorrow."

"So I heard."

"Jesus, Ken what exactly do you hear? Everything?"

Ken shrugged. ""Pretty much. You're my second. Anything that I need to know about anyone, especially on the team, is my business."

"I don't want you to worry about me" Joe said through gritted teeth."I'm going to be fine."

"I know you are" Ken replied smoothly."But that's not going to stop us from being concerned about your health."

"What?" Joe asked, feeling Ken's eyes on him. "What is it?"

"You need a shave..." Ken laughed.

Joe snickered. "Not like I can take care of that myself, now can I?"

"Want me to get one of the nurses to do it....?"

"As long as it's not the brunette.....she hates me. ...."

Ken rolled his eyes at that information. "I don't want to know...."

"But the redhead is another story..." Joe grinned, teeth flashing.

"Ummm...on second thought I think I'll just do it for you...."

"Hell no!" Joe retorted, pushing himself up slightly against the pillows. "You'll probably slit my throat...."

"Would I do that?" Ken asked innocently, blue eyes drawing wide.

"Yes...." Joe answered emphatically.

"What about Jun...."

Joe shook his head. "She'll want to cut my hair too or something. She complains I look like a hoodlum sometimes."

"That's because you _are_ a hoodlum." Ken replied stoically, trying to keep from laughing. "Funny," he continued, thinking aloud. "Jun doesn't complain about my hair..."

" Of course she doesn't complain about your hair, Ken" Joe snorted in good humor. "'cos she likes _you_."


End file.
